Bermuda July 17

Jul 17, 2015

Today we started out with an excellent research snorkel at Turtle Bay. Two groups spotted a Green Sea Turtle and lots of Blue, Rainbow and Midnight parrot fish were observed by everyone. On the ocean sides of islands in the bay were many urchins and West Indian Top snails.

At lunch we had our picture taken with our wonderful shirts.

In the afternoon we went out in the boat for the last time. We explored the wreck, Pelinaion.

The Pelinaion was a large cargo steamer, 385 feet long with a 50 foot beam and a displacement of 4,291 tons. She was built in 1907 at Port Glasgow for Hill SS Company and named Hill Glen, but her ownership changed numerous times before she was purchased by a Greek shipping company and given her present name in 1939.

The Pelinaion was heading from West Africa to Baltimore with a cargo of Iron and Manganese Ore.

The Pelinaion, was not scheduled to stop in Bermuda, but due to limited fuel supplies, the Captain decide to stop and refuel. Thinking he was about 12 hours away from Bermuda and not knowing that the St. David’s Lighthouse was blacked out due to the war, The Pelanion ran aground a mile from Copper’s Island, near St. David’s.

The wreck lies in depths ranging from 20 to 70 feet. She is an awesome sight because of her large size and massive parts. Most noticeable are the ship’s giant steam boilers, huge triple expansion engine standing upright and a spare propeller.

This evening we night snorkeled at Whale bone Bay. See below a squid and Octopus we discovered.